Something I am convinced Chevy has up it's sleeve for the Siverado SS:)

Okay currently the Silverado SS has 345 HP which is 35 less than the current 380 HP Lightning. Also it offeres Extended Cab and AWD and can haul and tow more than the Lightning. Basically i am saying that although the SS isn;t faster it is an adequte performer and far more useful than the Lightning. The $39K sticker is high, but most full sized trucks are outragous now anyway.

But I was surfing the media site a while back and this engine caught my attention.... (http://209.61.155.43/news/releases/021106_engine.html)

I hardly think that GM would develop a 525 HP 8.1L V8 just for crate and boat sales. Plus I have at times been hinted to about this going in the Silverado. Think about it.....when the 500 HP trucks finally do arrive all GM has to do is bold this big boy in and go. I really think the odds are good we will see it in a few years, especially since we know how GM likes to not show thier hand untill the last minute.

I dunno... I cant see Chevy slipping a 500hp low compression motor into their top of the line truck. It seems like more of a marine application motor. Anything could happen, but I would be reallysuprised. If Chevy watned this kind of power they could use a less agressive cam'd, higher compression smaller displacement engine.

Originally posted by bigsteve7
I dunno... I cant see Chevy slipping a 500hp low compression motor into their top of the line truck. It seems like more of a marine application motor. Anything could happen, but I would be reallysuprised. If Chevy watned this kind of power they could use a less agressive cam'd, higher compression smaller displacement engine.

They have done it before...remember the 454 SS? Also the same engine is available as a crate motor. If Dodge can use a huge V10, why not use a huge V8 in a Chevy?

Originally posted by formula79
They have done it before...remember the 454 SS? Also the same engine is available as a crate motor. If Dodge can use a huge V10, why not use a huge V8 in a Chevy?

I remember looking at a 454SS back in the day with a friend...

Milage was 9/10 or something close to that. :lol:

Originally posted by formula79
Okay currently the Silverado SS has 345 HP which is 35 less than the current 380 HP Lightning.

The newer Lightnings are really 400+hp trucks;). But i agree with your comment on the SS being an "adequte performer and far more useful than the Lightning".

Originally posted by formula79
I hardly think that GM would develop a 525 HP 8.1L V8 just for crate and boat sales. Plus I have at times been hinted to about this going in the Silverado. Think about it.....when the 500 HP trucks finally do arrive all GM has to do is bold this big boy in and go. I really think the odds are good we will see it in a few years, especially since we know how GM likes to not show thier hand untill the last minute.

I think they'll do something with the SS to stay competitive. If not that 8.1L crate engine, then a S/c or something else.

The 8.1 and the Silverado would be a perfect match.

Unfortunately, the Silverado SS's AWD system is not compatable with a big block. Both from a packaging and torque rating perspective.

Originally posted by Z284ever
The 8.1 and the Silverado would be a perfect match.

Unfortunately, the Silverado SS's AWD system is not compatable with a big block. Both from a packaging and torque rating perspective.

Ya, another thing the big block would do is add more weight... something people are already squawking about.

Originally posted by Darth Xed
Ya, another thing the big block would do is add more weight... something people are already squawking about.

No more weight than a 4 cam supercharged Ford 5.4L with intercooler and all the plumbing or a V10 powered Ram SRT10. Matter of fact I think the current SS is considerably lighter than the SRT-10. The Ram is heavy MOFO.That thing is amazingly heavy. Also I am thinking the Big block version would be RWD.

And if they are gonna put up 525hp and claim "top-of-the-hill", they better do it dayum fast! We already have every reason to beleive the new ColdShot Lightning will see production for 2004, with 500 conservative horses - not counting the extra 50 the ColdShot throws on. ;)
And Dodge is rambling too about upping the SRT-10 output to 550.

The Silverado does offer more utility with the AWD, but who drives a truck like the L or SRT for utility? Those trucks are really nothing but a LS1 Camaro or Cobra that sits higher, has better room and visibility, even more rear hatch area, and is a little faster to boot!:D

I'm sure there will be some super quick Silverados out there soon, but I don't see GM putting that mega-8100 into a driveline made to handle 400 or so horses. Tuners on the other hand... hmmm.:think:

Originally posted by ProudPony
And if they are gonna put up 525hp and claim "top-of-the-hill", they better do it dayum fast! We already have every reason to beleive the new ColdShot Lightning will see production for 2004, with 500 conservative horses - not counting the extra 50 the ColdShot throws on. ;)
And Dodge is rambling too about upping the SRT-10 output to 550.

The Silverado does offer more utility with the AWD, but who drives a truck like the L or SRT for utility? Those trucks are really nothing but a LS1 Camaro or Cobra that sits higher, has better room and visibility, even more rear hatch area, and is a little faster to boot!:D

I'm sure there will be some super quick Silverados out there soon, but I don't see GM putting that mega-8100 into a driveline made to handle 400 or so horses. Tuners on the other hand... hmmm.:think:

The new Lightning is supposed to be a year or two behind the 04 F150

Originally posted by formula79
No more weight than a 4 cam supercharged Ford 5.4L with intercooler and all the plumbing or a V10 powered Ram SRT10. Matter of fact I think the current SS is considerably lighter than the SRT-10. The Ram is heavy MOFO.That thing is amazingly heavy. Also I am thinking the Big block version would be RWD.

Perhaps (I do not have engine weights readily available), but people are complaining about Silverado SS's weight in particular, apparently because of the Extended Cab format and the weight of the AWD system.

Adding a big block puts even more weight on it.

Originally posted by Darth Xed
Perhaps (I do not have engine weights readily available), but people are complaining about Silverado SS's weight in particular, apparently because of the Extended Cab format and the weight of the AWD system.

Adding a big block puts even more weight on it.

Well, in that case, drop the AWD and go regular cab. It could be the spiritual successor to the 454SS. :D

Originally posted by Z284ever
Well, in that case, drop the AWD and go regular cab. It could be the spiritual successor to the 454SS. :D

A logical conclusion... but that would require an 'about face' by Chevy on some of the basics ideas of the Silverado SS...

I like the AWD idea. It makes it unique in it's class... so does the Ext. Cab, I suppose...

I can see them offering it in both EXT and Reg Cab before they drop the AWD though.

Originally posted by Darth Xed
A logical conclusion... but that would require an 'about face' by Chevy on some of the basics ideas of the Silverado SS...

I like the AWD idea. It makes it unique in it's class... so does the Ext. Cab, I suppose...

I can see them offering it in both EXT and Reg Cab before they drop the AWD though.

My guess is that it's the regular cab SS that they were showing in a mag that would the 8.1L.

Also have you seen how much the Ram weighs? I think it's over 5000lbs for a base 2wd model.

Originally posted by formula79
My guess is that it's the regular cab SS that they were showing in a mag that would the 8.1L.

Also have you seen how much the Ram weighs? I think it's over 5000lbs for a base 2wd model.

Well, honestly, sport trucks aren't my thing, so I really havent read a ton of other stuff about them... the only reason I really brought up the weight issue is that in just about every Silverado SS thread we've had here, it gets labeled an overweight pig, and the AWD feature gets overlooked by most, which truely baffles me. :confused:

Originally posted by formula79
...I hardly think that GM would develop a 525 HP 8.1L V8 just for crate and boat sales. ...
Why not? I serious doubt we're going to see the new "crate" zz572 in anything coming of a production line.... EVER! :D

I remember GMPP had a package out to put I believe the ZZ4 crate engine in 3rd gen f-bods.. I believe they were even emissions legal..

Wonder if they'll ever do that again for another car or truck..

Again, I wish GMPP or maybe some other big retailer, would put together a 427 C5R kit for vehicles with the ls1 and its varients... And put a computer program together that "just so happened" to pass OBDII testing too.......

The only thing that I wouldnt like about that is that there would have to have a whole new aftermarket develop for the big block. If they just used a damn tried and true LS6 they wouldnt have any problems.

Something to consider:
Marine engines don't fall under the same emissions regulations as cars and trucks, so a marine 8.1 V8 with 525 horsepower doesn't mean you can simply drop it in a truck & sell it. Same goes for crate engines. Add air injection pump, converters, emissions friendly computer program and timing, anda few other necessary items, and I'm sure it'll eat up over 25 horsepower.

Originally posted by guionM
Something to consider:
Marine engines don't fall under the same emissions regulations as cars and trucks, so a marine 8.1 V8 with 525 horsepower doesn't mean you can simply drop it in a truck & sell it. Same goes for crate engines. Add air injection pump, converters, emissions friendly computer program and timing, anda few other necessary items, and I'm sure it'll eat up over 25 horsepower.

Most of those parts exist for the 8.1L in production. It would just be a matter of making it all work at the 525 HP level. I think all said power would come in right around 500. If 5.7L=350HP than 8.1L = 497 HP using the same technology. Granted it's no where enar that easy...but possible.

Originally posted by Ken S
I remember GMPP had a package out to put I believe the ZZ4 crate engine in 3rd gen f-bods.. I believe they were even emissions legal..

Wonder if they'll ever do that again for another car or truck..


They already do - there's a crate-motor 502 that's intended for use in late-80s/early-90s pickups and Suburbans. It's an emissions-legal replacement for the stock 454. I'm sure you find the limits of the stock TBI system before the tach hits two grand :)

Brandan, GM develops special-purpose crate and marine motors all the time. There's a ton of money to be had in that market. I doubt that it's possible to get a 525 HP big-block to meet light-truck emissions, so they'd have to sell this as a 3/4-ton (the same trick that Dodge pulled off in the late 70s with the Little Red Wagon trucks).

Wasn't the 572 hp 8.1 used in the coolside 2? I remember seeing pictures of that truck along with the coolside one and the old silverado SS prototype. It was black with monochromatic flames on the front. It was a very very nice looking truck.

I'm not 100% sure to what capacity, but the 8.1L WILL see action in the SS after the 04 model year.:)

Originally posted by Mervz
I'm not 100% sure to what capacity, but the 8.1L WILL see action in the SS after the 04 model year.:)

Keep in mind that the LS series motors can easily go to 7 liters and produce 500HP or more "detuned".:eek:

I could see this happening. Trucks dont have to pass the same emissions as cars and dont need the MPG that cars need to pass. I do remember seen Moss on C&D TV saying that the Silverado SS wonldnt have a s/c and would be all motor. Im sure it wouldnt be a far cry to change the current 8.1 to put out this power. Remember the 454 LS6 and 427 ZL1s? Those where 2 under rated big blocks and that was from 30 yrs ago. Also I'm sure the aftermarket would have a hay day with this motor. If your making 700 hp in a LS1 SBC, think of the potention of a LS1 design BBC. :D